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Flight Behaviour of Passerines on Nocturnal Migration

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Flight Behaviour of Passerines on Nocturnal Migration Flight Behaviour of Passerines on Nocturnal Migration Cecilia Nilsson DOCTORAL DISSERTATION by due permission of the Faculty of Science, Lund University, Sweden. To be publicly defended in the Blue Hall, Ecology Building, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, Sweden on Friday the 13th of February, 09:30, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Biology. Faculty opponent Judy Shamoun-Baranes, University of Amsterdam 1 Organization Document name LUND UNIVERSITY DOCTORAL DISSERTATION Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology Sölvegatan 37 Date of issue SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden 7/1 2015 Author (s) Sponsoring organization Cecilia Nilsson Title and subtitle Flight Behaviour of Passerines on Nocturnal Migration Abstract Many passerines migrate during the night and at high altitudes, making their migration difficult to observe. By using tracking radars we have been able to make exact observations of the flight behaviour of passerines on nocturnal migration, which has enabled us to test several hypotheses about adaptive values and constraints regarding migratory behaviour in different ecological contexts. We have investigated the birds’ flight speeds and we were able to see that birds consistently fly faster in spring than in autumn. This could be due to optimality reasons, as there might be a higher selection pressure to arrive early at the breeding grounds in spring than at wintering grounds in autumn. We have also investigated the timing of nocturnal migration by exploring how it is affected by midnight sun conditions in the Arctic, and can show that the pattern of nocturnal migration persists even in those conditions. At a site in southernmost Sweden, Falsterbo peninsula, we tested the hypothesis that coastlines affect the flight direction of migrants, and saw no evidence of small scale coastline effects. In Falsterbo we also had the unique opportunity to combine our radar data with data from a radio telemetry system on the peninsula and the longstanding ringing regime in the area. By combining methods we could see that the departure directions and directions during climbing flight differed from the directions of birds in level flight. This suggests that migrating birds adjust their orientation once aloft. We also used our combined methods to investigate what separates birds flying in reverse directions from birds continuing forward on migration. Bird flying in reverse directions flew slower, at lower altitudes and later in the night. They were also leaner and younger than birds continuing forward. All animals that fly must deal with winds, which can have a very large positive or negative effect on the flight conditions. In two comparative studies we show that nocturnally migrating moths and passerines achieve similar ground speeds and flight directions by using contrasting responses to winds. Key words: Bird migration, Passerines, Flight Behaviour, Tracking radar, Optimal migration, Flight speed, Airspeed, Wind drift, Nocturnal migration, Coastline effects, Flight directions, Reverse migration Classification system and/or index terms (if any) Supplementary bibliographical information Language English ISSN and key title ISBN Print: 978-91-7623-29-3 Pdf: 978-91-7623-230-9 Recipient’s notes Number of pages188 Price Security classification I, the undersigned, being the copyright owner of the abstract of the above-mentioned dissertation, hereby grant to all reference sources permission to publish and disseminate the abstract of the above-mentioned dissertation. Signature Date 7/1 2015 2 Flight Behaviour of Passerines on Nocturnal Migration Cecilia Nilsson 3 Copyright Cecilia Nilsson Front cover: Operator panel and signal display of stationary radar station in Lund. Photo: Aron Hejdström Faculty of Science, Department of Biology ISBN (Print) 978-91-7623-229-3 ISBN (Pdf) 978-91-7623-230-9 Printed in Sweden by Media-Tryck, Lund University Lund 2015 4 Contents List of Papers 6 Author Contributions 7 Abstract 8 Introduction 11 Methods 11 Flight speed 14 Nocturnal timing 17 Flight directions 17 Effects of wind on bird and insects 20 Conclusions 21 References 22 Populärvetenskaplig sammanfattning 24 Tack 28 Paper I 33 Paper II 43 Paper III 61 Paper IV 83 Paper V 97 Paper VI 109 Paper VII 123 Paper VIII 145 Paper IX 157 Paper X 173 5 List of Papers I. Karlsson H, Nilsson C, Bäckman J & Alerstam T (2012) Nocturnal passerine migrants fly faster in spring than in autumn: a test of the time minimization hypothesis. Animal Behaviour, 83: 87–93. II. Nilsson C, Bäckman J & Alerstam T (2014) Seasonal modulation of flight speed among nocturnal passerine migrants: differences between short- and long-distance migrants. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 68:1779-1807. III. Nilsson C, Klaassen RHG & Alerstam T (2013) Differences in speed and duration of bird migration between spring and autumn. The American Naturalist, 181: 837– 45. IV. Nilsson C, Bäckman J, Karlsson H & Alerstam T. Timing of nocturnal passerine migration in Arctic light conditions. (Submitted). V. Nilsson C, Bäckman J & Alerstam T (2014) Are flight paths of nocturnal songbird migrants influenced by local coastlines at a peninsula? Current Zoology, 60(5): 660- 669. VI. Sjöberg S & Nilsson C. Nocturnal migratory songbirds adjust their travelling direction aloft: evidence from a radio telemetry and radar study. (Submitted). VII. Nilsson C & Sjöberg S. Causes and characteristics of reverse bird migration: an analysis based on radar, radio tracking and ringing at Falsterbo, Sweden. (Manuscript). VIII. Karlsson H, Nilsson C, Bäckman J & Alerstam T (2011) Nocturnal passerine migration without tailwind assistance. Ibis, 153: 485–493. IX. Alerstam T, Chapman JW, Bäckman J, Smith AD, Karlsson H, Nilsson C, Reynolds R, Klaassen RHG & Hill JK (2011) Convergent patterns of long-distance nocturnal migration in noctuid moths and passerine birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society B., 278: 3074–80. X. Chapman JW, Nilsson C, Lim KS, Bäckman J, Reynolds DR & Alerstam T. Adaptive strategies in nocturnally migrating insects and songbirds: contrasting responses to wind. (Manuscript). Papers I, II, III, V, VIII, and IX are printed with permission from publishers. 6 Author Contributions I. TA, HK and JB planned the study, HK, TA, JB and CN collected the data and HK analyzed the data. HK and TA wrote the first draft of the paper, CN made substantial revisions on which all authors gave input. CN completed the revision and is corresponding author. II. TA, JB and CN planned the study, CN collected the data with support from JB and TA, CN did the analysis and wrote the paper with input from the other authors. III. CN and TA initiated the study, CN compiled and analyzed the data, CN and TA wrote the paper and RK contributed with much input to data and manuscript. IV. TA, HK, JB and CN planned the study and collected the data, CN did the analysis and wrote the paper with input from all authors. V. TA, JB and CN planned the study. CN collected the data with support from JB, CN did the analysis and wrote the paper with input from the other authors. VI. CN and SS initiated the study, CN and SS collected the data, SS did the analysis and wrote the paper with input from CN. VII. CN and SS initiated the study, CN and SS collected the data, CN and SS did the analysis and CN wrote the paper with input from SS. VIII. TA, HK and JB planned the study, HK, TA, JB and CN collected the data, HK analyzed the data and wrote the first draft of the paper, CN made substantial revisions with input from all authors. CN completed the revision and is corresponding author. IX. TA, JWC, RK and DRR initiated the study, TA and JWC wrote the paper with input from all authors, CN and TA analyzed the bird data, JWC analyzed the moth data, and all authors contributed significantly to discussions. X. JWC, CN, DRR and TA initiated the study, CN analyzed the bird data, JWC and KSL the moth data. JWC, CN and TA wrote the paper with input from all authors. All authors contributed significantly to discussions. 7 Abstract Many passerines migrate during the night and at high altitudes, making their migration difficult to observe. By using tracking radars we have been able to make exact observations of the flight behaviour of passerines on nocturnal migration, which has enabled us to test several hypotheses about adaptive values and constraints regarding migratory behaviour in different ecological contexts. We have investigated the birds’ flight speeds and we were able to see that birds consistently fly faster in spring than in autumn. This could be due to optimality reasons, as there might be a higher selection pressure to arrive early at the breeding grounds in spring than at wintering grounds in autumn. We have also investigated the timing of nocturnal migration by exploring how it is affected by midnight sun conditions in the Arctic, and can show that the pattern of nocturnal migration persists even in those conditions. At a site in southernmost Sweden, Falsterbo peninsula, we tested the hypothesis that coastlines affect the flight direction of migrants, and saw no evidence of small scale coastline effects. In Falsterbo we also had the unique opportunity to combine our radar data with data from a radio telemetry system on the peninsula and the longstanding ringing regime in the area. By combining methods we could see that the departure directions and directions during climbing flight differed from the directions of birds in level flight. This suggests that migrating birds adjust their orientation once aloft. We also used our combined methods to investigate what separates birds flying in reverse directions from birds continuing forward on migration. Bird flying in reverse directions flew slower, at lower altitudes and later in the night. They were also leaner and younger than birds continuing forward. All animals that fly must deal with winds, which can have a very large positive or negative effect on the flight conditions.
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